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What Next in Genomic Medicine?

Essentially, every human disease has some basis in our genes. Until recently, physicians were able to take genetic information into consideration only in limited cases when treating disease. With the enormous treasure-trove of data about human genome produced by genomic research, spawning a whole new era of digital technologies and sequencing platforms, researchers and clinicians now have more robust tools to study the role that genetic factors have in complex diseases. Genomics is already empowering healthcare industry to develop precise diagnostics, more effective treatment algorithms, and targeted therapeutics for some of the most complex diseases such as cancer, immunological disorders, and infectious diseases. Risk assessments, prenatal testing, screening, and diagnostic tests, and predictive testing are already being implemented and swift progress is being made in the emerging field of microbiome sequencing, pharmacogenomics, and drug development. With the rise of precision medicine, future healthcare treatments will be more tailored to a patient’s particular genetic makeup. However, it takes substantial time, effort and funding to move innovations from the laboratory into the clinical practice. In the coming years, genomics will be the cornerstone of the cutting-edge precision medicine programs and will have a significant impact on improving treatment outcomes.